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Paul Geissler: Concerns over election are groundless

Posted:
08/05/2014 01:00:00 AM MDT

In her Guest Opinion in the last Sunday Daily Camera, Mary Eberle expressed concern about the chain-of-custody of election ballots, but her concerns are groundless. It was a partisan attempt to erode public confidence in our elections, thereby suppressing voter turnout.

The security of ballots relies on bipartisan teams. Members of two different political parties must always be present when ballots are transported or handled. At no time are people from one political party ever allowed to be alone with the ballots. Ballot containers always have a numbered, tamper-proof seal, which is carefully tracked. Ballots containers are signed in and out and careful records maintained. Ballots are stored in locked rooms in containers with tamper-proof seals. Access to ballot processing areas are strictly controlled, where they are under recorded video surveillance. Election workers are not allowed to have black or blue pens (the colors used by voters) in ballot processing areas and must use red pens to write notes.

To suggest that there are problems with the chain-of-custody is to suggest that members of competing political parties conspire to tamper with the ballots, in spite of the stiff penalties for doing so and the high likelihood of getting caught. A substantial number of ballots would need to be substituted or altered to make a difference, and there has been no evidence whatsoever that it has occurred.

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Boulder County Clerk Hillary Hall and her dedicated, non-partisan professional staff have done an exemplary job of conducting a fair and open Primary Election, with elaborate and effective safeguards to protect the integrity of the election. See for yourself. We encourage citizens and reporters to come to the Clerk's “Open House” before November's General Election and ask questions to understand the election process.

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